


Quiet Rolling Thunder

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Deaf, Deaf Character, Deaf Reader, F/M, Murder, Rape, Reader-Insert, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-02-23 20:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)Unlike on tumblr, I can't italicize things here. Any conversation taking place between the reader and Emily, or the reader and anyone else, will be assumed to be in ASL.





	1. Chapter 1

“No one can understand her,” Officer Chambers said as the BAU entered the local station.

For months now, they’d been chasing a serial rapist who targeted women between the ages of 25 and 35. He was between 5′11″ and 6′2″, about 180 pounds and used a knife, but not just a plain old knife - it was serrated with an etching on the blade. Problem was, no one had been able to say what the etching was, just that the blade itself wasn’t completely smooth.

Anytime someone was attacked or nearly attacked in the area, Officer Chambers would call them in. This rapist had killed too. Four women at this point. In addition to having raped 8 others. Beyond his physical description, all they had was that he was garden-variety rapist. There was undoubtedly nothing special about him except the fact that he’d evaded law enforcement for so long. That had led the BAU to believe that the unsub was either a member of law enforcement or had been in and out of the system often enough to know the laws to keep from getting caught. “Why can’t you understand her?” Tara asked as they strode into the station. 

Spencer glanced into the room where the woman, Y/N Y/L/N, was being kept. She was frantically waving her hands in front of her face. “She’s speaking American Sign Language. I can gather words here and there, but I don’t know it fluently.”

“I do,” Emily said. “I’ll go talk to her.”

As she entered the room, the moved her hands slowly.

My name is Agent Emily Prentiss. I’m with the FBI.

Immediately, Y/N settled down, her eyes softening when she realized there was someone there who understood her. I was attacked.

Do you need to go to the hospital?

Y/N shook her head. He didn’t rape me. He tried to, but I stepped on his toe as hard as I could and ran until I ended up here. I can’t hear, but everything was so…loud. I don’t know how else to describe it.

If this was the same unsub, no one had gotten away from him since he started killing people. They needed to know if this was the same man. Can you tell me about him? About what happened? Whatever you can remember.

Y/N’s lip began to quiver, her hands shaky as she lifted them in the air and began to speak. I was walking home from work. I’m an accountant and I was working late. When I turned the corner onto Tavers Street, I felt a hand around my mouth. He pulled me backward.

“It’s okay,” Emily signed, speaking at the same time as she saw the woman begin to cry. You’re here. You’re safe. He cannot hurt you anymore.

Y/N took a deep breath and began again. He backed me into the wall and had his right hand around my throat. There’s a celtic knot tattoo on right in the crook of his thumb and forefinger.

That was new. Emily encouraged her to continue, leaning over and extending her hand for moral support. Then he pulled out a knife. Y/N started to shake, almost as if the knife was still right there at her throat. I panicked. Knives are so much more scary than guns. I thought I should fight and risk dying rather than stay and die anyway. 

It could’ve worked out badly or in her favor. Thankfully, it had been the latter. But they needed to know what the knife looked like. What he looked like. Can you describe him? Was there anything special about the knife? Her hands floated gently through the air, her lips following suit as she spoke out loud, mostly for herself.

Y/N brought her hand up to her mouth, covering it like she was almost about the throw up. He reeked of alcohol. He was maybe 6 feet tall. Average build. The knife was especially frightening. It was serrated. And there was something etched on it.

Do you know what it was? Emily asked quickly without realizing how quickly she’d spoken. This was the same unsub.

She looked disappointed as she shook her head. I’m not sure. It all happened so quickly.

If you allow me to lead you in what we call a cognitive interview, you might remember. It’s a detail we could really use. Would you allow me to do that? Emily breathed a sigh of relief when Y/N nodded.

She couldn’t do a typical cognitive because Y/N couldn’t hear, meaning her eyes needed to remain open to watch Emily sign, but she led her in a few breathing exercises to keep her calm and receptive. After a few questions, Y/N’s eyes went wide. Ontario. Underneath there was a picture. An eagle holding an anchor.

“Thank you,” Emily spoke, signing as well before patting Y/N’s clasped hands in gratitude. Can I please take you to the hospital now? Make sure everything is okay?

Really, I’m fine, Agent Prentiss.

Emily stood up and asked again. Please? I just want to make sure you’re not in shock or anything.

With a small nod, she agreed. 

I’ll be right back to take you to the hospital, okay? First, Emily needed to inform the team of what she’d just learned. 

Leaving the room, Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Y/N had escaped with a few minor bruises and they had new information that might stop this unsub once and for all. When she walked into the room, the team was waiting, going over everything they knew about this unsub’s previous crimes. “Did you find out anything?” Matt asked. 

“How’s the victim?” Spencer added.

“Y/N,” Emily said, unconsciously still moving her hands at her waist. “She’s okay. Just a few bruises, but I’m going to drive her to the hospital anyway. She was able to give us new information.”

The entire team waited with baited breath. It had been months since they’d gotten anything new.

“The knife is an Ontario MK 3 - standard issue for Navy Seals.”


	2. Chapter 2

Although the knife was standard issue for Navy Seals, it was possible that the unsub had acquired it in another way. He didn’t necessarily need to be a Navy Seal, active or not.

“You’re taking Y/N to the hospital?” Matt asked. He reached down toward the phone and dialed Garcia. 

“My fine furry friends! How can I assist thee?”

Matt smiled at Penelope’s outburst. He’d been friends with her for years, even before he started with IRT, but hearing her sunshine every day made all this hell they experience a little bit better. Hopefully, she knew how important she was to the morale of the team. “Hey Penelope, we need you to run a search on anyone who was issued or bought an Ontario MK 3 Navy Seal knife?”

“What are my parameters?” 

Spencer turned around from the map in front of him. “I did a bit of geographical profiling and he only operates within the city limits when it comes to victims and dumpsites, so keep your search within the downtown DC area.”

“Got it, Boy Wonder! I will hit you back when I have something!”

The clicking of keys filled their ears before she’d even fully hung up the phone. “We’ve got this covered,” Tara said. “Go take care of Y/N.”

“Thanks.” Emily gave the team a soft smile before returning to Y/N. Though she was the leader of the team and had the ability to make final decisions, she was forever grateful that the team had her back. She had complete faith that once she returned from the hospital, they’d have some knew information. 

As she walked back into the room, Y/N was waiting, staring off into the distance like she was trying to make sense of what had just happened. Emily had never been attacked in that way before, but she could only imagine the existential crisis that she’d be walking through if she had. Y/N? Are you ready to go?

She nodded, standing up to follow Emily out of the door. Emily held it open, ushering Y/N out, but she couldn’t move. Can you go first? The idea of having someone behind me is…I can’t.

No problem. 

In the car, Y/N couldn’t muster the energy to speak at all. The knife had been right at her throat. She felt so violated. She hadn’t been - not technically, but she felt dirty. Like all she wanted to do was go home and take a shower. Agent Prentiss really wanted her to go the hospital though and in reality she knew she was right, so she agreed. 

As they pulled up to the hospital, Y/N looked up toward the sky and watched as the clouds rolled in and covered the moon save for a small sliver at the top. She stood frozen for a moment, taken by the beauty of the sky. If she’d made even one small move differently, she wouldn’t be here to see the moon playing hide and seek in the clouds. 

With a deep breath, she pulled her attention away from the sky and looked toward the sidewalk, where Agent Prentiss was standing patiently. Emily started signing as they walked. I can’t imagine what this is like for you right now, but you are very much here. You’re safe. And it’s going to be okay. With the information you gave us, we can find this guy and make sure he never does this to anyone else.

Thank you, Agent Prentiss. I don’t really know how to feel right now, but having you say that is keeping me grounded I think. So thank you again. 

Once inside, Y/N was ushered off to be checked out. She declined a rape kit, because she hadn’t been raped and she didn’t feel like being touched if she could help it, but she did allow them to take scrapings from under her fingernails. Maybe they’d be able to get some DNA. With nothing but a few minor scrapes and bruises, she was released after a couple of hours. When she walked outside, she saw Agent Prentiss still there.

You’re still here?

“Of course. I wasn’t about to leave. Is everything okay?” Emily signed, speaking at the same time.

No concussion. Nothing really but cuts and bruises. One of the nurses also gave me the number of a therapist that deals with assault cases, so I don’t know…maybe I’ll go. I’m not sure. She shrugged. She didn’t really know what to say. What was someone supposed to say? Anything? But she couldn’t deny that she appreciated Agent Prentiss staying with her. Something said that wasn’t necessarily normal - that she was going above and beyond, and Y/N appreciated it.

Emily asked her if she wanted a drive home, to which she said yes. At a red light, Emily said the first thing that came to mind. It’s your choice to go to a therapist or not, and you don’t need to make a decision hastily, but please don’t feel like the circumstances of your attack were any less harrowing than someone else’s.

Y/N’s lip quivered slightly, so she turned toward the window and gave it an imperceptible nod. She was telling her exactly what she needed to hear. How did she know? In the hours since she was attacked, a raging train of emotions rattled through her. She’d been violated, but not as badly as others had been. Plus, she’d made it out alive. Somehow she felt like she didn’t deserve to feel as bad as she did, no matter how dumb she knew that was. Thank you. She started signing wildly, praying that Emily could keep up even though she was driving. I think I need to give it a few days to give myself time to process what really happened. Not that I don’t know, but…you know? Anyway, I probably will go to talk with someone, but I need a few days.

That’s completely understandable. Emily said at the next red light. When she turned the last corner and drove up to Y/N’s apartment complex, she continued the conversation. Would you like me to walk you up to your apartment?

Y/N nodded and started to cry, not bothering to try and hide it. It seemed like Emily understood, and she’d been so kind. I’d really appreciate that.

They walked up the stairs in silence, with Emily once again leading the way so that Y/N didn’t have to deal with the feeling of someone walking behind her. She pulled her key out of her pocket and shakily approached the lock, but she kept fumbling with it. They dropped out of her hands and onto the wooden floor with a metallic thud. I’ve got it. Emily said. Let me. Once the door was open, Emily pulled out her card. If you need to talk to someone, I’m also here. I’m not a doctor, but I am a good listener. And please let me know if you can think of anything else that might help us catch this guy.

I will. Y/N said, standing in the doorway. Also, can you please keep me updated? At least as much as you can. I don’t know how I’m going to feel until this guy’s been caught.

I promise to tell you whatever I can. I’m going to stay until I here the door lock. Sleep safe, okay?

Y/N’s lips curled into the smallest smile. Thank you again, Agent Prentiss.

Emily. 

Thank you, Emily.

The door closed silently and locked behind Y/N. Emily finally felt okay leaving - as much as she could be considering someone who’d been so traumatized was still alone. But there was nothing much more she could do right now.

With a few quick swipes of her phone, she sent a text to the team saying she’d be back. The best way to make sure Y/N could recover from this was to catch this bastard.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily’s mind raced with thoughts of what Y/N had been through as she drove back to the station. It always happened this way. And over the entirety of her career, she’d learned there needed to be balance. She couldn’t be completely stone-faced and emotionless when it came to how she dealt with victims; that just wasn’t her. But she also couldn’t allow herself to get completely wrapped up in emotion; otherwise she wouldn’t be able to do her job right. It was all about balance. It just so happened that the scale was tipping in favor of becoming emotional at the moment.

As she pulled up to the station, she thought about what would happen if they couldn’t catch this guy. It didn’t happen often, but it happened occasionally. The team also couldn’t be sure how this unsub would react at losing a target. Y/N was the first one to ever escape his grasp, but he was comfortable enough to operate in a fairly small zone, which meant he was confident he wouldn’t get caught. And whether he knew it or not, Y/N remembered quite a bit about him. Would he try and find her again? 

“What do we have?” She asked with a heavy sigh as she entered the conference room.

Matt turned around and pointed at the screen. “Garcia was able to figure out how many people have purchased an Ontario MK 3 or were issued one through the Navy, but that still doesn’t account for anyone who obtained one illegally.”

“True,” Emily replied. “But this guy is methodical and cocky to the point of arrogance. He doesn’t stray from his comfort zone. He banks on the victim’s fear. It’s the only reason Y/N is alive. Even with a knife to her throat, her instinct to survive overran her fear.”

From his stack of papers, Spencer looked up and finished Emily’s sentence. “It’s highly unlikely he obtained one illegally. That’s messy. This guy doesn’t do messy. Until tonight that is.”

“It’s much more likely we are looking for someone who was or still is a Navy Seal.” Tara interjected. “Point is, we’ve taken Garcia’s list and narrowed it down with what we have of the profile so far, but it still leaves us with nearly 30 possible suspects.”

“Well, what the hell are we still doing here?” Rossi said. “Let’s split up.” He wasn’t the leader of the team, but he could see that Emily had a lot on her mind right now. “Emily and I will take these 9. Matt, JJ and Tara take these 10, and Reid and Luke take these 9. But let’s start tomorrow. We need a good night’s sleep if we are going to be any good at tracking down this bastard.”

Emily was about to protest, but that was the emotional side talking. Rationality dictated they get some sleep, so reluctantly they went back to the hotel for the night.

“Sleep like crap?” Rossi asked when Emily walked out of her room the next morning.

Her under eye bags had bags. The bags were going on vacation with more bags. “Understatement. I tossed and turned all night. We have to catch this guy, Rossi. I have a bad feeling that he’s going to try and find Y/N. He doesn’t leave witnesses. He’s too calculating to leave her alone. Especially when he has no idea what she knows.”

Rossi placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, giving her the paternal comfort she needed. “We’re going to find him, Emily. We always do.”

“Almost always,” she said as the acid ate away at her stomach.

“How do we have nothing?” Emily asked, bursting in anger at the lack of progress. “We’ve interviewed 28 people and nothing.”

She was stunned. How could this guy be evading them? JJ came up behind her and patted her shoulder. Something about Y/N was really hitting Emily hard. She could see it; she normally didn’t get this emotional over a case. Level-headed was practically her middle name. “All of them have knives, but not all of them have the same engravings, and only a few have a celtic tattoo on their wrist, but none have the right engravings on the knife with the right tattoo, so we’re right back where we started.” Emily turned back at cut her eyes at JJ, who returned a grimace. “Sorry, I was recapping.”

“I know,” Emily replied, putting her head in her hands. “It’s just that this guy has been operating for a couple months now and he’s still evading us. How?”

“Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way. We assumed that the reason he knows the area so well is because he lived here. What if he comes here on business? A retired Navy Seal who pursued a different path? One that brings him here periodically?” Tara asked to no one in particular. She was just thinking out loud.

Luke replied with the obvious problem. “Well that really doesn’t help us narrow our search? What are we supposed to do? Have Garcia canvas the entire country?”

“To start,” Rossi replied. He hated this just as much as the rest of them. The world was filled with 7 billion people. “Only 2,500 or so Navy Seals are active at any given time, but-”

“2,450,” Spencer interjected.

Rossi chuckled under his breath. “2,450 Navy Seals are active at any given time, but we also have to take into account retired ones.”

“We can narrow it down to those Seals that have been issued the Ontario MK 3,” Matt said. “That only started about 10 years ago. Also the MK 3 is normally ditched after training in favor of a stronger knife with better steel, so I think we’re looking for someone who’s sentimentally attached to the Navy, and the Seals in particular. He could have relatives or friends that were also Seals.”

“Okay, okay,” Emily said, nodding her head as she stood up from the table. “This is all good. We’re not at a dead end.”

“Come on, Chief,” Luke laughed. “We don’t give up. We’re going to find this guy. It’s just going to take a little longer than we’d prefer.”

“We’re going to catch him,” Emily said. She repeated it like a mantra. They were going to catch him. They were going to catch him. They were going to catch him.

As he went through security, he pulled down his shades, flashing the TSA agent a smile, declaring his knife with confidence. “Thank you for your service,” he said.

“My pleasure.” Next time I’m here I have to find her again. Can’t have her wandering free. 

She’d been feistier than his previous ones, but she’d be easy enough to find again. In the meantime, it was unlikely they’d be able to track him. First thing they’d look for is someone who lived in the area. 

He began to pick up the pace when he heard the speaker overhead. “Lufthansa flight 464 to Rome, Italy is now boarding.”


	4. Chapter 4

Staring down at the card hesitatingly, Y/N wondered whether or not she should call Emily. She didn’t want to be that person - the one that constantly bombarded the police about the case she was unfortunate enough to be involved in, but she also needed to know. And Emily had told her to call her if she needed anything.

She was going to call. It had been days and she had to know if anything had changed. 

With shaky hands, she picked up her phone and punched in Emily’s number, tapping her foot against the counter.

Back at the Bureau, Emily went to her office to make a few calls while Garcia started another search - this time for current and former Navy Seals over the past 17 years that frequently travel to DC for work.

As she sat down in her chair and picked up the phone to make her first call, she felt a buzzing in her pocket. She was going to take it out quickly and ignore it for now so she could get a head start on these phone calls, but then she saw a number without a name attached; it was Y/N’s number; she wanted to FaceTime.

She was probably calling for an update on the case. She couldn’t ignore her, but was dreading the reality of having to tell her that they were starting over with a new search. “Hello? Y/N?”

Her hands were so shaky. She was so scared. “Right now, we are conducting a new search. Our original avenue of investigation led us to a dead end, but we formulated another possibility and we’re looking into it.”

Y/N hesitated on the other side of the line. “Oh,” she replied.

Emily wanted to bang her head into the desk. She was so numb. “We are doing everything we can. Our theory is that the unsub is a frequent traveler to the U.S. and DC in particular, but that he doesn’t live in the area.” Maybe that would help ease her mind? To know, or at least believe, that he wasn’t here at the moment. Hell, they didn’t even know, but it was something she could tell her that might ease the stress. “How are you?” Her tone switched from professional to concern. “Have you been able to sleep? Eat okay?”

She was pacing around her apartment at the moment, but when Emily said he may not live in the U.S. that made her feel a little bit better - only a little bit better. “I’ve been okay. Eating is fine. Sleep is a little harder to come by. But I’m going to see a therapist next week, so hopefully I’ll be able to work through some things.”

“That’s great,” Emily said with a half smile as her hands waved through the air. “I’m glad you decided to go talk to someone. It’s a hard road to travel, but you’re strong Y/N. You’ll heal.”

“Thank you, Emily.”

For a moment, neither of the women said a word. “If you can think of anything else about him - a physical description, a smell, anything, let us know. Nothing is too trivial. But until then, please take care of yourself okay?” Emily asked.

“I will. Thank you again,” Y/N replied softly, her hands barely moving.

Neither knew it would be nearly a month until they would speak again - and good news was not around the corner.

“What do you mean they’re closing the case?!” Y/N cried.

Emily had come to tell her personally. After so much time passed without a peep from the unsub, the Bureau had insisted. “The powers that be won’t allow us to continue investigating this as a primary case. Other cases need our immediate attention.”

“But he’s still out there! What if he comes back? What if I run into him again?” She devolved into a crying, shaking mess right before Emily’s eyes, collapsing to the ground. “How? I don’t understand. My life is at stake, isn’t it?”

It was, but rules dictated that it wasn’t in immediate danger and therefore didn’t require immediate attention. Bureaucratic bullshit is what it was. “Just because it’s not a Bureau priority, doesn’t mean it’s not a priority for me,” Emily said, bending down to wrap her arms around Y/N. “I’ll find him. I promise.”

There were those words again. She might not be able to keep them. 

“I’m not giving up.”

Y/N sobbed into her shoulder for a few more minutes before composing herself. “Thank you. I needed that.”

“We have a list of about 100 possibilities, but we need a way to narrow it down,” Emily continued, trying to give her hope. “I’m going to be combing over the files from the case in my spare time. I’ll find him.”

Emily was going above and beyond for her and she didn’t quite know why. She was grateful of course, but this wasn’t something people did for someone they didn’t know. Maybe she just had an extreme sense of justice ingrained in her; Y/N wasn’t quite sure. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Y/N asked.

“Not right now. You need to focus on yourself.”

That’s what she was afraid of. 

Being in her own head.

Another two months went by without any movement on the case. Every week, Emily called to let Y/N know that she was still looking into things and in return Y/N would let her know how her therapy session went, never really going into detail, but giving her the gist. 

It became their routine. So much so that if one was a little late, they’d shoot the other a text to see if everything was okay. FaceTiming with Emily was easy; there was no judgement. The only reason she didn’t tell her the details of her therapy sessions was because she was afraid that Emily wouldn’t want to hear it with all the crap she came into contact with on a daily basis. 

There was something about Y/N, her vulnerability mixed with her inner strength, that Emily was drawn to also. She wasn’t allowing herself to be a victim, and Emily admired her for that. Every week she sounded happier - more at ease.

After their weekly phone call one week, Y/N found herself asking Emily something she never expected. “Emily, are you single?”

The question took her off guard, but she found herself smiling. “Yes, actually I am. You too?”

“Yea,” Y/N said sheepishly. “Look, I have no idea if it would be against protocol because of my case, but I would like to get to know you more. I feel comfortable with you.”

Emily hesitated as JJ walked in the door of her office. “I feel the same way actually. And they closed the case, so I don’t see why it should be a problem. Should I text and we can talk about it later?”

“That’d be good.” As they hung up the phone, Y/N fell back into the couch amongst the cushy pillows. He was still out there, but if she kept from living her life then he won, and she wouldn’t allow that. She was starting to feel better.

Meanwhile, Emily hung up the phone and left JJ with a quizzical look on her face. “Y/N?”

“Yea. She actually just asked me out.”

“And you said yes?”

“Yea,” Emily replied. “I really like her and there’s no protocol about not seeing someone involved in a closed case, so why not.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” JJ asked. 

“It may not be, but I wouldn’t have said yes if the case was still open.”

“It may open again though.”

Emily shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”


	5. Chapter 5

Shortly after they spoke, Emily texted Y/N to see when she’d want to go out and where. Considering all she went through, Emily figured she’d be more comfortable picking where she wanted to go. Last thing she wanted was to put her in an uncomfortable situation.

They decided to meet up a week later after Emily got out of work. She’d pick Y/N up at her apartment and they’d go to an Indian food place they both happened to love. Before heading out to pick her up, Emily called the restaurant and made a reservation, specifically asking for a table in the back corner.

“Going out with Y/N?” Spencer asked, when Emily waked out of the bathroom having just changed into her date clothes. She was wearing her favorite, worn-in leather jacket with a green halter top underneath, paired with dark wash jeans and cute leather boots she’d picked up with JJ and Garcia a couple weeks before.

When Emily nodded, Spencer wished her good luck, saying to follow her heart regardless of the rules. It made her wonder. Maybe Reid had a love of his own that they didn’t know about yet. 

She made her way down the stairs with a smile on her face and made a mental note to tell Y/N that she had managed to narrow down their list of 100 suspects to about 80. It wasn’t much, but it was something, and it would make Y/N see that Emily was working on the case despite it being shut down by her superiors. Before she set off, she sent Y/N a quick text. 

E: On my way now. Can’t wait to see you.

For the first time since the attack, Y/N felt like a human being. The therapist she’d been seeing was great, and she wasn’t roaming around her apartment and job in a daze. Work allowed her 1 weeks paid leave, which she appreciated, but then she’d taken an extra week unpaid before going back. 

As she stared in her full-length mirror, she smoothed out the lines of her dress. Having been to the Indian place before, she knew she was overdressed, but she also didn’t care. She was feeling okay and human for the first time in months. She deserved to feel good. 

A buzzing in her pocket jolted her out of her reverie for a second, but the smile returned to her face when she realized who the text was from. Quickly, she sent a message back to her.

Y/N: I’m totally overdressed, but I don’t care. Lol. See you soon.

When Emily pulled up outside her apartment, she checked her messages and smiled, hurriedly running up the stairs and knocking on Y/N’s door. Her mouth dropped open when she cracked open the door. 

“You look amazing,” Emily signed. She was a blue velvet dress cinched in at the middle with straps off set on her shoulders. The silhouette reminded Emily a bit of Marilyn Monroe. 

Y/N shut the door behind her and went to pull on her coat. Emily couldn’t have been happier to see her. Not only was this the first date she’d been on since breaking up with Mark, but Y/N also looked really happy. Of course, she’d had no reason to smile in the time they’d known each other, so this was the first time Emily was seeing it. “You have a beautiful smile.”

She blushed at the compliment and pulled on her coat, buttoning it before taking Emily’s hand. It felt nice to feel so comfortable with someone.

Emily couldn’t help but wrap her arm around Y/N’s shoulder and bring her close as they headed toward her car. She opened the door for Y/N to get in and remembered what she wanted to tell her. “I’ve narrowed down the list to 80 suspects, and-”

“I’m glad, but I want to think about just us for the night,” Y/N replied. “Nothing else.”

Honestly, that was a relief. “Sounds good.”

On the drive to the restaurant, they spoke at red lights, Y/N gesturing furiously, trying to get all she wanted to say out in one fell swoop. It almost became a game, with Emily having to keep up. She was fluent in ASL, but it was a bit difficult to keep up when she was going so fast. 

By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Emily had learned that Y/N’s therapist was an older woman in her 60s who’d been sexually assaulted in her 20s. With her own therapist’s help, she came to terms with what happened and decided she wanted to pay it forward, switching majors from mathematics to psychology and obtaining a Ph.D. “Besides you, she’s one of the few people I feel comfortable talking with,” Y/N said. Emily gave her name to the hostess and they waited. 

“Does she speak ASL?”

“No,” Y/N said. “But we use an app called LiveCaption that converts speech to text so I can read it and reply. I’m teaching her words slowly too. So that’s fun.”

Once they were brought to their table, Y/N decided she wanted to sit in the very corner - the wall at her back and Emily in front of her. That way she was covered on all fronts. 

They ordered quickly, both hungry from full days at work.

“Okay, so I want to get to know each other,” Y/N signed. “Like really know each other.”

“How about some rapid fire questions?”

“What’s your favorite color?” Y/N asked. “Mine is purple.”

“Black.”

“Favorite movie ever? I would have to say Casablanca.”

“It’s tough,” Emily laughed. “I’ve never been a movie person, but I do love Gone With the Wind.”

It went like that for nearly 20 minutes while they split some cheesy naan bread. Y/N’s favorite show was ironically, How to Get Away with Murder, while Emily’s was Westworld. Emily was a cat person while Y/N was a dog person. They both preferred reading over playing games, video or board, and both fancied themselves night owls over morning people. 

When the waiter came to the table with Y/N’s Chicken Tikka, and Emily’s Chicken Vindaloo, which was going to turn her into a fire-breathing dragon just the way she liked it, they settled into a different type of conversation. Y/N never really talked about her job because she was an accountant; although she loved it, most thought it was boring, but boring was exactly what Emily wanted right now. Her work was eventful enough. 

Covering the topic of Emily’s job was a little more touchy - especially while Y/N was still so raw from this attack, she didn’t want to get into details, so she kept it vague, talking more about her love of doing what she did rather than focusing on the cases. 

Emily’s heart skipped a beat when she started fanning her mouth from the flames of the Vindaloo. It was the first time she saw Y/N laugh. Her eyes sparkled, and although she didn’t make much sound it was like the whole room was drawn to her. She hid her mouth in her hands. “You should let everyone see you smile,” Emily said, putting her fork down to sign. “I’m glad I got to see it.”

She was blushing. Y/N was blushing so hard and Emily couldn’t take the cuteness. 

The bill came to the table about an hour and a half after they got there. An onlooker might’ve thought they were married by how much they bickered over the bill. Emily wanted to pay the whole thing. So did Y/N. Neither would settle for splitting it either. Eventually, Y/N agreed to let Emily pay this time if she could pick up the bill next time, and with that they headed out to the car. 

“Can we go for a walk?” Y/N asked.

That took Emily off guard a bit. Y/N was walking home from work when she was jumped. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, slinking her arm into Emily’s and motioning with her hands. “I feel safe with you. Just a short one? It would be nice to take a walk and not feel like the walls are closing in on me.”

Emily leaned in and placed a kiss on Y/N’s cheek. “Let’s go. The second you want to come back to the car let me know.” Their walk only lasted about 15 minutes, but it was the first walk Y/N had been able to take since the attack, and it felt good. Baby steps towards complete independence again. “If you ever want me to teach you self defense, I’d be happy to.”

“You mean you can teach me to kick ass like you? And Angelina Jolie in that crappy Tomb Raider movie?”

“Oh,” Emily signed as she laughed. “I love that movie too. It’s so bad. But seriously, yes. I’ll teach you if it makes you more comfortable.”

On the way back to Y/N’s apartment, Emily explained some basic self defense concepts and how it would be easy enough to teach them. “Everyone should know how to defend themselves.”

“I had a great time tonight,” Y/N signed as they made their way up to her apartment. “Is it too much to assume we’ll have a second date?”

“Definitely not. We will. Maybe next week same time as long as there’s no case at the Bureau?”

Y/N nodded enthusiastically and placed a quick a awkward kiss on Emily’s lips before opening her apartment door. “Thanks again, Emily. I’m starting to feel human again.”

“You’re a strong one,” Emily replied. “I’ll text you as soon as I get home.”

Both women blushed and smiled stupidly to themselves as the door came between them. Y/N finished her nightly habit of checking the apartment, having become a little more paranoid after the attack. Once the coast was clear, she sat on the couch in a daze before picking up the journal her therapist asked her to keep. Finally, she was able to put in a truly happy entry.

In the meantime, Emily felt a buzzing in her pocket.

JJ: Come in ASAP.


	6. Chapter 6

Unfortunately for Y/N, the text JJ sent Emily didn’t apply to her case, but another one, which pulled Emily away from Y/N on a string of cases that lasted nearly two and a half weeks. 

Despite the distance, they FaceTimed as much as they could, while Emily used nearly every other waking hour to thumb through the 80 files they still had pertaining to Y/N’s case. 

Through extensive diving into Facebook profiles and the like, Garcia was able to determine that 30 of them have no tattoos on their wrists, which brought the list down to 50, and almost 40 of those 50 had a celtic tattoo of some kind on their hand. Out of those 40, 29 of them had other friends or family that had served with the seals at some point in time, and considering the sentimentality of using the training knife he was given, it stood to reason the unsub was one of the 29. That is if they were on the right track.

Rossi knocked on her motel door the night before they were supposed to return home, knowing she’d be awake. As he expected, she quietly opened her door and let him in. “Emily, you need to get some sleep.”

“I know,” she said, using the backs of her hands to attempt to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “I know I need to. I just feel like I’m failing her every second I don’t find this bastard. He’s killed four people, and you know the profile. If he finds her again, he’s not going to let her go.”

Rossi nodded solemnly. She was right. Y/N was in danger as long as he was still out there. “That’s true. But you can’t do her any good if you collapse from sleep exhaustion.”

“That’s the other problem,” she said. “Every time I fall asleep lately, I’m having nightmares. None of them are consistent, except the fact that before I wake up I hear someone cackling.”

After nearly 40 years of working for the Bureau, Rossi knew a thing or two about not being able to sleep at night. Though he tried not to take it too often, he popped a melatonin to fall asleep if he was having a particularly rough time. Reaching into his pocket, as if he’d known she’d need it, he pulled out the bottle. “Take one of these for tonight. Set your alarm for 30 minutes before we have to leave. Take a five minute shower when you wake up and you can collapse again on the plane if you’re tired. But you can’t keep going like this. You’re going to drill yourself into the ground.”

Emily heaved an enormous sigh and caught the bottle as Rossi threw it her way. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right. I’m old. I’ve been through some shit. I know things.”

Emily playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed a glass of water off the table beside her, quickly downing a melatonin. “Thanks. Hopefully, this’ll work.”

“How many suspects do you have now?” Rossi asked.

“29.”

He grimaced at the number. It was still a large number, despite the fact that Emily had cut out 71 suspects. “Do you think Y/N is strong enough to go through EMDR?”

The thought of even asking her made Emily feel guilty, like she couldn’t do enough and now she had to ask Y/N to go through the trauma again. “Possibly, but I don’t want to have to. Plus, isn’t EMDR heavily reliant on spoken language?”

“Yes,” Rossi replied, “but I was actually talking with Reid about EMDR the other day and he was telling me that there are a number of professionals beginning to use a slightly different EMDR therapy using sign language. I might be able to call in a favor or two if you think she could go through with it.”

They needed to find this guy. But they needed to narrow down the list of suspects first. “I’ll ask her,” Emily said. “Thanks, Rossi. And for the melatonin. I think I might actually fall asleep tonight.”

“No problem, Emily. Get some sleep.”

When they got back the following day, the team had a couple days of straight paperwork, which meant that at the end of the day, Emily could go out with Y/N. Even though the past few days had been hell on Emily’s brain, the second she was with Y/N she relaxed. 

It was in the middle of dinner one night that their conversation turned towards her case. Emily had an opening to ask her to go through EMDR. It probably wasn’t the best time, but considering they were dating, there probably wasn’t a better time. “Y/N, I need to ask you something about the case?”

Her heart jumped in her throat. Was there something wrong? Were they never going to find this guy? Maybe their dating wasn’t okay with her superiors? Y/N was always the type to have a million things running through her mind. “What about it?”

“Like I said, I’ve narrowed it down to 29 suspects, but I’m stuck. I hate to ask you this because you’re still healing, but do you think you could go through another cognitive interview? It may reveal more details that can help us narrow it down further.” Emily watched as the momentary flash of fear shot across Y/N’s eyes.

Y/N reached across the table to pat her girlfriend’s steadying hand. “Is it the only way?”

Emily nodded.

“Then I’ll do it. You can be in the room right?”

Emily marveled at her strength and determination. She honestly didn’t know if she’d ever be able to be so strong given the same situation. “Yes, but someone else will be conducting the session this time. Agent Rossi is calling in a favor with someone who specializes in EMDR for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

The idea of reliving this was the last thing she wanted, but she also wanted to feel safe again, and she honestly didn’t think she could feel that way unless this guy was caught or dead. Standing up from her seat across the table, she sat beside Emily and buried her face in her shoulder, signing without looking. “I’m scared.”

“I know,” Emily replied, tilting her head upward. “But I’ll be there the whole time and I promise I’ll cut the session off if you feel like you can’t handle it, okay? I swear I’ll never let him hurt you.”

It was nearly a week and a half later that Rossi was able to get the EMDR specialist to come in. Normally, it would’ve cost a fortune, especially when the case was technically on hold, but she wanted the chance to work with the famous David Rossi, and whatever her motives were, Emily would take it if it meant finding this guy. 

“Hello, Agent Rossi,” Dr. Santos said, extending her hand to the seasoned agent. “It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

“Thank you for coming in,” he said. “This is a very unique case. My unit chief has been working night and day to narrow down possible suspects from the profile we’ve put together so far, but we are still stuck at 29 suspects. Y/N might be able to give us more of physical description, a scent, something he said, anything that might help us narrow it down a bit more.”

“Understood,” she replied. “I do need to impress upon you that when it comes to a court, what I do may not be admissible. EMDR with deaf and hard-of-hearing clients is in its infancy.”

Rossi told her that he understood, but they were at a loss and this was their last resort. With all the possibilities out in the open, Rossi led her to where Emily and Y/N were waiting, introducing his friend and unit chief, as well as her girlfriend, who just so happened to be the victim in question. 

Dr. Santos and Y/N started signing to each other. Emily explained to Rossi that they were just discussing how they would go about things, what she would be doing, and to call off the session at any point if she couldn’t handle things. 

First, she led her in a few breathing exercises, as well as a few more specific exercises that eased her into things. After starting the session, Dr. Santos began to sign softly, asking about the night of the attack - the temperature outside, what she was doing, where she was going, what she was wearing - anything and everything that would put her back in that space.

Emily watched on helplessly as she got a little shaky, but Dr. Santos was very good, reassuring her at every turn and encouraging her to breathe. “Now, what’s the first thing that happened that made you realize something was wrong?” Dr. Santos asked, her hands moving through the air calmly and swiftly.

Steadily, Y/N raised her hands, eyes fixed off in the distance. “His hands, they were really smooth, I don’t know why I noticed that, but they were. He wrapped them around my mouth and waist and wrenched me back into the alley.”


	7. Chapter 7

Y/N looked down and noticed how her hands trembled. She didn’t even remember being this afraid at the time, probably because she was so hopped up on adrenaline in the moment that she didn’t have time to be scared. 

Dr. Santos glanced down at her hands and immediately tried to calm her. “You are not there anymore. You are here and you are safe.”

She took a few deeps breaths and sank back into the couch. 

“What happened after he brought you into the alley?” Dr. Santos. “Remember, he’s not here are you are safe.”

For a moment, she closed her eyes and brought herself back to that place. Emily could see a tear forming behind her eye, and Rossi could see her, beating herself up over something she couldn’t control. It seemed to be a BAU trait. You had to beat yourself up on the daily in order to take this job. 

Reaching over, he grabbed Emily’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Emily appreciated the fatherly gesture even if it didn’t make her feel all that much better. 

When Y/N opened her eyes, a tear fell, but her hands were steady, floating through the air. “He spun me around and pinned me to the wall. His right hand came around my throat.” Her own hand hung gently around her throat before she started again. “That’s when I noticed the tattoo he had. I know it was a Celtic tattoo and I know where it was, but I can’t see any details in the design. I’m sorry.”

Emily so desperately wanted to tell her it was okay, but she put her head in Rossi’s shoulder and allowed Dr. Santos to do her job. “That’s okay,” the doctor said. “Move on from the tattoo. What happened next?”

Swallowing hard, Y/N attempted to let go of her guilt for not remembering more about the tattoo. “Then he pulled out the knife,” she signed, her lip quivering in fear. “It had the etching of an eagle holding an anchor on it. He was lean, but not amazingly muscular, and slightly over 6 feet tall.”

“What else can you tell me about him?” Dr. Santos asked. Y/N was holding her own right now, so as long as she was willing and able to push herself, Dr. Santos was going to continue.

Her nose wrinkled and she grimaced. “He stunk of alcohol. But he didn’t seem out of control…you know what I mean? He was stumbling or anything. He had control of his movements.”

That made sense given the profile. Navy Seals were notoriously, driven, strong and composed. “Was there anything else noticeable about him? Could you see if he said anything to you?”

Y/N’s eyes widened as the scene continued to play out in her head. “He said something. I saw his lips move.”

“What was it? What did he say?” Dr. Santos asked, her movements more pointed and desperate.

“Jenny. It’s like he was calling me Jenny.”  
\----

Months after he’d been in DC the last time, he returned. Lockheed finally needed him back in DC. Now was his chance to find that woman. After his meeting, he’d go back to the building she’d come out of. He assumed she worked there. 

As the exited the airport and tried to find a cab toward the hotel the company had provided for him, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number. “Jenny for fuck’s sake pick up the phone!” He growled into the phone as he once again got sent to voicemail. “Please talk to me. I wanna see my daughter. Let me talk to her. What I did was part of a mission! I didn’t have a choice. For fuck’s sake stop being a child and answer my damn calls.”

He hated what he’d had to do, but it was either that or the mission was blown, so he did what he had to do. After making the mistake of telling her (she’d hounded him to be more open with her), she left with Ariana and she’d been changing phone numbers ever since. “Call me back so we can talk. I won’t stop calling. You change your number again and I’ll find it again, so you might as well just talk to me.”

Angrily, he grumbled and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Among the sea of people leaving the airport, he put his hand in the air and hailed a cab. “So what brings you to DC?” The driver asked as he slipped into the car.

“Business. I travel a lot for business.”

“You here from out of the country?”

He hated small talk. More than anything. But he also wanted to seem approachable and therefore above suspicion. “Yea, I grew up in Virginia. Came to DC for school. Served with the military as a Navy Seal for nearly 15 years and now I serve as an engineering consultant for Lockheed International. I live in Rome now.”

“I’ve always wanted to go there,” the driver said as he took his address and began the drive to the hotel. “I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place.”

“It is. I love it there. It’s where I always wanted to end up. Though I’m not who I expected to be with.”

The driver nodded, immediately understanding what he meant. “Relationship troubles.”

“Yea, man.”

Thankfully, the driver didn’t pry anymore. His bitch of an ex-wife was the last person he wanted to be talking about.

Once they got to the hotel, he handed the driver his fare and pulled out his phone to GPS the location of his meeting in relationship to his last target’s presumed job. About five minutes. Good. Time for him to get changed out of his meeting clothes and find her as she got out of work tomorrow.  
\----

After the cognitive interview, Emily took Y/N back to her apartment to sleep. She was emotionally exhausted. Tucking her in with a kiss, Emily left the apartment to go back to the Bureau and look up whether any of their 29 suspects had a relative or friend named Jenny.

With the new information from Y/N’s interview and nothing but paperwork in front of them, Emily told them to put it aside and refocus on Y/N’s case. They were getting closer. She could feel it.

“Garcia, I need you to run a check to see if any of these 29 names have a Jenny attached to them in any way.”

“Got it, Mamasita! Yours truly will be back when she has something!”

While Garcia was in her lair, the rest of the team combed through the files once again, all but throwing out an additional two suspects, leaving them with 27 suspects when Garcia returned nearly 2 hours later. “Ma’am, I have 4 of the 29 that have a relative or friend names Jenny.”

Emily’s eyes lit up as she called the rest of the team into the conference room. “Garcia has limited our list to 4.” She sent the files to everyone’s personal devices. “Now let’s narrow this down.”

“We have Jeremy Ledger for Navy Seal who travels all over the world as an artist now,” Spencer said. “Actually, his paintings are really good. He also only has one friend that’s in the military. I think our unsub is going to have a more personal connection with the military in regards to relatives.”

Matt chimed in. “Yea, although he was a Seal, he’s too far removed from the military now to be our guy. And his travels very, very rarely bring him to DC.”

“Okay, next,” Emily said.

The weeded out yet another possibility, a man by the name of Brent O’Connell. He was another Navy Seal, but he was currently with them and although he’d been in the area for the first two victims, he was stationed overseas for the other two. 

“Last two,” JJ said. “Kyle Manalis and Derrin Samorodnitsky.”

Rossi’s eyes were already scanning both files and without hesitation, he pointed at one. “It’s Manalis.”

“What makes you so sure?” Tara asked. She hadn’t had a chance to read everything yet.

“Manalis is third generation Navy. His father and grandfather served. He’s also from the area, while the other is from Montana. Virginia and DC have more of a military tie in than Montana. Military is engrained in this unsub. Samorodnitsky, man that’s a mouthful, his brother is also military, but that’s the only military connection. Plus, his Jenny is his sister. Manalis’s ex-wife is Jenny. If she left him due to something he did while in the military, it would stand to reason that she set off his rage.”

“When did they get divorced?” Emily asked Garcia.

“A year ago, about a month before the first murder,” she replied shakily. “And he works as an engineering consultant for Lockheed International. The last time he was here was when Y/N was attacked.”

“Find out where he is now,” Emily commanded, giving her a sorry I’m so demanding look as Garcia walked out of the room.

While Garcia went to her office again to get tracking Manalis, Emily went back to her office. They were so close. If they were on the right track, which she was convinced them were, they had him. He just had to be in the states to have jurisdiction. 

Ten minutes later, Garcia texted:

PG: My fearless leader. Kyle Manalis is in the states for the next three days for a meeting with the Lockheed office here in DC. He’s at the Hilton hotel in DC now.


	8. Chapter 8

Emily stood up from her desk and ran into Garcia’s office. “PG, I need you to work your magic and get me anything you can on Manalis’s work for the past year and anything you can give me pertaining to his wife, his daughter, the divorce, military time, anything okay? And track his number. If he’s here for a business meeting, it’s only 3:30; he could be in one now and I need to know where.”

“You got it,” Penelope said, as she spun in her chair and began typing away at the computer. As she heard Emily’s footsteps recede, she called her back. “Emily?”

“Yes?”

Penelope walked over and wrapped her arms around Emily’s neck. “We’re gonna get him okay?”

Emily pulled back with a warm smile, holding the side of Garcia’s face. “Thank you.” She always knew what to say, seconds slowed for a moment as they both tried to regain their composure. They were so close to closing this case. “Work as fast as you can.”

“I will.”  
\---

Within the hour, Garcia had tracked down every bit of dirt she could without digging into the deepest, darkest parts of the web. “Em, I have everything here. The divorce happened right before the first murder. The relationship seemed to be picture perfect before he returned from his second tour as a Navy Seal. Nothing about his military time points to anything hinky, but there are numerous mission files that are sealed.”

It was more than likely, Emily would go so far as to say she was nearly 100% sure that whatever his wife divorced him over was in one of those classified files. She was about to ask another question before Garcia continued, “And all of his business trips coincide with Y/N’s attack and the four previous murders.”

It was him. They had him. Emily felt the bile rise in her throat and swallowed it back. “Where is he? You have his phone tracked?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said, handing over the coordinates. “He was at the Lockheed office in DC, but now he’s on the move.”

“Send the coordinates to my phone.”  
\---

Thankfully, his business meeting had gone smoothly. Now he could spend the remainder of his day searching for that bitch. There was no way he could leave here without making sure she was taken care of. 

As he pulled his phone out of his pocket, he swore. He’d missed a call from Jenny. His blood started to boil as the message played out. “Kyle, we’re done. I’m sorry. You might’ve felt like you did what you had to, but I can’t let it go. I just can’t. And now that you’re drinking all the time, you’re scaring Ariana and you’re putting her in danger. I won’t have it. Keep calling if you want. I’ll keep changing my number. Get help and then we can talk about you seeing your daughter. But we are done.”

She abruptly hung up the phone. 

“Fucking bitch,” he swore. “Dare to keep my kid away from me.”

When he looked up, he saw her. It’s like his prayers were being answered. Across the street, the young woman stood outside a pizza place. It seemed she was out to grab a late lunch or early dinner. Perfect. He watched as she walked in the direction he was hoping for. About 500 feet ahead was a park with a large grove of trees behind it. It was risky during the daylight hours, but he needed this done.

Casually, he pulled down his cap and strode about 50 feet behind her. 

Soon.  
\---

The only reasons she’d been out lately were for work, therapy, or a date with Emily, and even then she’d been in a car 99 times out of 100. Y/N still couldn’t bear the thought of going out alone at night, but during the daytime she was pretty sure she could handle.

After placing an order for pickup, she decided to walk down a few blocks for pizza. Something felt off, but she shook it off. What she went through was traumatizing - that’s what the therapist had said - so it was likely she’d have these feelings until she got comfortable again. 

It felt nice to be outside again by herself. That bastard had taken away her freedom, but she was regaining it. Step by step. 

As she approached the pizza place, she inhaled. Oh the smell of sauce and cheese and bread - it was the greatest. 

She’d ordered a pie in the hopes that Emily could join her later and almost stopped to eat a slice on the way home, but then her phone rang. Maybe it was Emily. Perfect timing.

Y/N stopped by the nearby park, practically empty at this hour, and pulled out her phone.

Before the pizza box had even fallen to the floor, she recognized the feeling of those cool, smooth hands.  
\----

“Ready?” Matt asked.

Everyone piled into the SUV to track him down while Emily sat in the back. She was trying to FaceTime with Y/N to tell her that her interview had really helped. This case was almost over.

“Hello?”

Emily saw the face of young boy, maybe about 10. It wasn’t Y/N.

“Hello?” Emily asked confused. She glanced at the number to make sure she had it right, but she did. “What is your name?”

“I’m Billy. I found this phone on the sidewalk.”

Emily’s heart sank. 

“Where are you?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.”

“Please,” Emily said as the tears stung at the corners of her eyes. “I think the person that this phone belongs to is in trouble.”

The boy looked around and found a couple of landmarks. “There’s a park with a lot of trees behind it. And a pizza place down the block. I think it’s called Anthony’s.”

That was down the street from Y/N’s job.


	9. Chapter 9

Was she screaming? She was trying to. Her throat was burning so she had to be making some kind of sound. Was it loud enough for anyone to hear? 

The blood coursed through her veins like a racecar on a track, winding tightly around very curve. It pounded like the engine. 

Even if he wasn’t a Navy Seal anymore, he was still unbelievably strong. She was kicking with all of her might, but it seemed like the pain barely registered.

Just like the last time she was attacked, she felt the world crashing in on her. She was born deaf. She’d never heard a thing a day in her life, but being deaf made her ask everyone to describe sounds in terms she could understand. Apparently thunder was a long, low rumbling sound - all encompassing. That’s how she felt. 

His hands gripped her tighter as she kicked, trying desperately to take in any landmarks around her, any notches on trees that might lead her to safety if she were to get the chance to get away.

All of a sudden, she was thrown toward a large tree, the bark scraping down her arm leaving blood trails in its wake. Her eyes welled with fear as he approached, and her first instinct was to sign to beg for her life, but it would be no use.  
\---

Her only hope was to run for her life.

“She dropped her phone?” JJ asked as Emily disconnected the call. 

She shook her head. “She never drops it. If it was on the sidewalk it was because she was caught off guard, and she’s not there,” she said softly, before moving into full panic mode. “Matt, step on the gas! Hurry!”

Luke reached down to the floor of the car and grabbed the siren, immediately turning it on to warn everyone to get out of their way. “Emily, it’s possible she just dropped it.”

“No!” She cried. “Matt! Hurry, please! Her phone is her lifeline, she wouldn’t have left it anywhere. He’s in the area. He has her. I know it in my heart.”

Matt stepped on the gas and the engine revved underneath them, but Emily would’ve sworn they were going backwards. She hadn’t been seeing Y/N for long, but she couldn’t lose her…she just…she couldn’t. As they turned the corner, she sunk back into the seat, numb to the voices around her trying to impart some level of comfort. They were trying their best; she knew that. It was what she would have done in the same situation. But it wasn’t going to do any good until she knew Y/N was safe.

“We’re almost there,” Tara said. It was the only thing she had said. Tara always seemed to know whether a situation needed words or not. Right now, Emily didn’t want to hear anything.  
\---

Everything looked the same.

Everything looked the same.

How was she supposed to find her way out of here? 

The pattern of the bark on the trees was blending together. 

Run. And keep running.

It was all she could do. That and pray.

Her foot snagged on a tree root and she fell to the floor. Her hand scraped against a rock, gravel digging into her skin, but she glanced back and he was right behind her. She needed to get up.

The tears stung at her face as she pushed up off the floor. 

Help me. Anyone. Please.

Even if he caught up to her, she would fight. She had too much to live for - a job she loved, places to see, people that loved her, people she loved…Emily. 

Emily was unlike anyone she ever met. She knew it would be easy to fall in love with her if they were given more time. 

As she felt his hand on the back of her shoulder, that’s all she thought - they needed more time.  
\---

“JJ! Rossi! Take the far left end of the grove,” Emily called. “Luke and Tara go to the far right. Spencer and Matt with me down the middle.”

People had started to gather as soon as the SUV had pulled up. Murmurs filled her ears, but as she stepped into the grove of trees it died down. She couldn’t hear anything save for the steps of Reid and Matt on either side of her crunching leaves and twigs under their feet. 

Suddenly, a scream resounded from somewhere ahead. Emily advanced without thinking and another strangled cry ripped through the air. 

Y/N.

Turning back toward Matt and Reid, she pointed them northwest of where they already were. 

“Ahead and to the right,” Spencer whispered through gritted teeth. 

Manalis was on top of Y/N and she was kicking with all of her might. “Kyle Manalis! Freeze! FBI!”

His eyes practically spat fire when he looked up. With one swift movement, he fell to Y/N’s side and pulled her up in front of him. 

“Manalis, it’s over! We have your DNA from the other crime scenes.” They had DNA; they weren’t positive it was his yet, but it was. Emily knew it in her heart of hearts. 

He shook with anger. He knew he was caught, but he was too hypermasculine to give in. “I served my country. I confided in her like she wanted me too and this is how she treats me. She takes my kid away?” He spat.

“That woman is not Jenny,” she replied, her gun steady and ready to fire at the first possible opportunity. “That woman’s name is Y/N.”

“She’s the same as every other woman. Jenny, Y/N, you, it doesn’t matter. You’re all the same.” Each name fell off his lips with notable disdain.

His grip tightened around her neck. There was no talking him down. He was a macho man. A misogynist. He could’ve easily snapped Y/N’s neck already, but he hadn’t, and he wasn’t just going to give up.

Emily lowered her gun and held it out to Spencer.

“What are you doing?” Matt hissed.

“Get her out of here,” she said through the side of her mouth. Looking straight at Manalis, she did the only thing she believed would work. Challenge his masculinity. It had to her. “Take me instead.”

Reluctantly, he stood up and looked between her and Y/N. “Come here,” he said. His eyes took on a new fire. 

Y/N’s body shook as Emily approached. She kept mouthing run, but it was almost hollowly, because she knew Emily wouldn’t do it. “It’s going to be okay,” she signed, her own hands shaking. “Get out of here.”

As soon as he let her go, Y/N ran. “Go!” Emily screamed. “Get her out of here! Now!” 

Manalis wrenched Emily back by her shoulder, causing her to lose balance and fall into a tree. Her head hit the bark, blurring her vision momentarily, but when his face came into vision, she thrusted her hand upward, hitting his nose with the palm of her hand. 

“Bitch!” 

Emily pushed herself up off the ground with her arm, sending her leg flying into his stomach which sent him backward, but he quickly regained his balance. His glare bore holes into her, fire shooting from them as he charged forward. He was like a raging bull going for the red cape with no other thought in his mind. That was her advantage. 

She sidestepped him and grabbed him by the back of the shirt, lunging him forward and into a tree. When he hit his head against the bark, he crumpled the ground and left Emily her opportunity. “Stay down!” She screamed. The cuffs clicked around his wrists. “It’s over, Manalis. You’re done.” She picked him off the ground and wiped the blood trickling down the side of her face, marching him toward the exit of the grove.

Matt was just about to run back into the grove when Emily returned, Manalis in tow. “You okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine. Where’s Y/N? Is she okay?”

“She’s petrified, but she’s okay. Spencer is with her in the ambulance.” Matt grabbed Manalis by the arm and wrenched him away toward the squad car. 

For a moment, she stood frozen in place, but then the siren of the ambulance flared into her eye, pulling her out of her numb state and toward Y/N. 

“Y/N!”

She lurched forward and into Emily’s arms. Y/N’s hands slipped into her hair, holding on for dear life as her tears stained the red material of Emily’s top. 

There was nothing Emily could say or do in this moment that would change anything. She couldn’t take away the fear. She couldn’t stop her from crying. All she could do was hold on tight.

Pulling back slightly, Emily rested her forehead against Y/N’s. “It’s all over,” she said, her hands moving swiftly in her lap. “He can’t hurt you or anyone else anymore. And I’m here.”

“I was so scared,” she said, her hands shaking.

“But you fought like hell, and you’re still here.”

“I kept thinking we needed more time,” she smiled through tears. “I needed more time with you.”

Emily chuckled even though the tears were still falling. Grabbing her hand, she gave it a squeeze and brought her other hand around the side of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. 

“We have it all.”


End file.
